From Query-By-Keyword to Query-By-Example

Abstract

One key challenge in talent search is to translate complex criteria of a hiring position into a search query, while it is relatively easy for a searcher to list examples of suitable candidates for a given position. To improve search e ciency, we propose the next generation of talent search at LinkedIn, also referred to as Search By Ideal Candidates. In this system, a searcher provides one or several ideal candidates as the input to hire for a given position. The system then generates a query based on the ideal candidates and uses it to retrieve and rank results. Shifting from the traditional Query-By-Keyword to this new Query-By-Example system poses a number of challenges: How to generate a query that best describes the candidates? When moving to a completely di erent paradigm, how does one leverage previous product logs to learn ranking models and/or evaluate the new system with no existing usage logs? Finally, given the di erent nature between the two search paradigms, the ranking features typically used for Query-By-Keyword systems might not be optimal for Query- By-Example. This paper describes our approach to solving these challenges. We present experimental results con rming the e ectiveness of the proposed solution, particularly on query building and search ranking tasks. As of writing this paper, the new system has been available to all LinkedIn members.